LENS CAPTURE

Vol. 3 No. 9


After scouting out the best photo locations along the 13 mile scenic drive earlier the day before, I ventured back to Red Rock Canyon for sunrise.  With a 1 hour drive to reach my destination, I started out at 4:00 AM to catch the Sun cresting the eastern mountain range around 5:25 AM.  The temperature at that point had only hit 52°F at the Calico Basin, so a hooded sweatshirt was a definite requirement.  During my 2½ hour visit on this particular morning, the temperature rose more than 25 degrees. 


Was it worth it?  You be the judge.

Vol. 3 No. 8


While the lights of the Las Vegas Strip lure many, the main draw to the area for me lies just 15 miles west. Red Rock Canyon, a National Conservation Area, is an oasis in this neon desert.


I took the short drive up from Henderson, a southeastern suburb of Las Vegas, along State Route 160 towards the town of Blue Diamond, and then about 9 miles north on NV Route 159 where I reached a roadside overlook.   With the Sun just ready to settle below the Keystone Thrust, the massive rock walls along the west of the valley that is cut by NV Route 159, I made the following image: